Birth Control for Men

Life is all about transitions. One moment, you’re planning to start your family and the other moment, you‘re looking for options to prevent unintended pregnancies. The availability of contraception methods has made the birth control option easy. 

Besides female birth control options, recent advances in Birth Control for Men are making their way through ongoing clinical and research trials [1]. 

There are many birth control options for men, which are readily available. It depends on your stage of life that you want to consider either temporary/reversible or permanent birth control methods. This article explains both temporary and permanent options for male contraception with their pros and cons. 

1. Condoms

Condoms are a temporary method for blocking contraception and effective against sexually transmitted infections (STIs) like Chlamydia or Herpes. Condoms have been proven to be effective for preventing pregnancy, but human errors reduce their efficacy. 

If condoms are not used the right way, the chances of an unintended pregnancy can become high. According to an estimate, 1 in every five women gets pregnant if condoms are not put on properly.

2. Male Birth Control Pill

Male birth control pills are a quick method of preventing pregnancy. A pill like DMAU (Dimethandrolone undecanoate) inhibits the formation of sperms and reduces testosterone levels. 

However, DMAU is under clinical trials, but it will soon be available once approved by the FDA [4].

3. Vasectomy

Vasectomy is the permanent and successful option for male contraception. Vasectomy involves the cutting or blocking of vas deferens by a surgeon to stop the sperm from reaching semen. 

After a vasectomy, semen still produces a small amount of sperm, but they are absorbed by the body. Additionally, vasectomies are also typically less expensive than female sterilization [5].

There is still ongoing research on male birth control methods, such as male hormonal and non-hormonal contraception. 


References:


[1] Anderson RA, Baird DT. Male Contraception. Endocr Rev 2002;23:735–62. https://doi.org/10.1210/er.2002-0002.

[2] Manlove J, Ikramullah E, Terry-Humen E. Condom Use and Consistency Among Male Adolescents in the United States. J Adolesc Heal 2008;43:325–33. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jadohealth.2008.03.008.

[3] Everett SA, Warren CW, Santelli JS, Kann L, Collins JL, Kolbe LJ. Use of birth control pills, condoms, and withdrawal among U.S. high school students. J Adolesc Heal 2000;27:112–8. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1016/S1054-139X(99)00125-1.

[4] Marsiglio W, Menaghan EG. Couples and the male birth control pill: A future alternative in contraceptive selection. J Sex Res 1987;23:34–49. https://doi.org/10.1080/00224498709551340.

[5] Cook LA, Van Vliet H, Lopez LM, Pun A, Gallo MF. Vasectomy occlusion techniques for male sterilization. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2007. https://doi.org/10.1002/14651858.CD003991.pub3.



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